


those rumours, they have big teeth.

by tousled



Series: did it frighten you? [1]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Getting Back Together, Post-Break Up, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-11-18 09:45:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11288715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tousled/pseuds/tousled
Summary: "Hi," Astrid breathes. She means to say something else. Anything else, really, maybe an explanation for appearing at six am on a Friday morning"Hi," Tuff smiles, all soft looking like he's still sleep warm, pillow creases on his cheek."I'm over him,"Astrid mocks her own thoughts,you damn liar.Things aren't weird, about Astrid and Tuff being exes and all, until Snotlout kind of makes it weird. Then it's just,something.





	those rumours, they have big teeth.

**Author's Note:**

> for the [httyd rarepair kiss meme week](http://httydrarepair.tumblr.com/post/161052125976/httydrarepair-httyd-rare-pair-kiss-meme-mini), the prompt from the meme _7\. “I’ve missed you” kiss_ but the idea i've been thinking about vaguely for a while. i'm a sucker for this kind of tuffstrid concept, the whole getting back together thing. a really big part of tuffstrid for me, i think, is _choice_ and this idea of them falling together at the wrong point, even though they're perfect compliments, so falling apart but then, falling back together at the right point? i don't know. i really love it. i've definitely got more ideas about this sort of concept lmao. 
> 
> my mini playlist for this fic is greenlight by lorde (the title is from this) and drive you mad by amy shark. idk the soft sounds of these songs, just. that feeling of nostalgia is what i was going for, the whole. soft, sad, warm.
> 
> i don't have a beta reader, so this hasn't been checked over by anyone. i've been trying super hard to get this finished so there may been mistakes, apologises and please let me know. there was a couple of scene transitions i had trouble with and so a couple of spots might be a bit clunky sorry. yea h im a little bit worried abt them so. please let me know. 
> 
> i LOVE comments and i'd love to hear what your thoughts are and any questions about the alt universe or my headcanons please!!! you can also talk to me on tumblr, i'm [despiteherself](http://despiteherself.tumblr.com).

 

 

It's not until they've half unpacked the picnic Astrid realises Snotlout's giving her a look. It's annoying, a kind of confused expression that darts around a little but she tries to ignore it. 

 

It doesn't let up, not as she's placing salads out or as Tuff passes the loaf of bread. She cuts the sourdough, thick pieces onto the bread board and Snotlout's still staring. His eyes bore harder when Tuff passes her things, hands her a beer, takes the bread to share it around. It's enough to drive someone bonkers, honestly. 

 

"What 'Lout?" Astrid snaps, handing the last salad over. She takes a sip of her ridiculous artisan beer, glad to do something with her hands instead of punching Snotlout's shoulder. Tuff hands her a plate. 

 

"It's just weird," Snotlout says, "that you're friends, and all." 

 

Which, it _isn't._

Or, it _wasn't._ Astrid looks over at Tuff; at the line of his jaw, the locs of hair shoved behind an ear, the stupid half grin pushing up the corner of his mouth. He laughs, slapping Snotlout's shoulder, like it's a joke. 

 

"I don't think it is." Fishlegs interrupts. He steeples his fingers together over his lunch. "I think it's really civil and nice they had an amicable ending. There's no picking sides, and all the gang is together still." 

"Fishlegs' is right." Hiccup adds, helping himself to the warm chicken salad. He passes it over at Ruff's grabby hands. "If it was weird, then all of this would be weird." 

 

"Kinda is." Ruff shrugs, and she's probably the most right. It's not weird, but maybe it kind of was made a bit weird. Astrid's not really thought much about it before now. 

 

"Does it matter?" Astrid takes another swig of her beer, effectively cutting the conversation off. When she looks up, Hiccup's talking the engineering project he's running and Tuff's watching her. 

 

It makes her feel self conscious, like they're still fifteen sitting across the lunch table from one another. Embarrassed, Astrid shoves at the hair falling out of her braid, pushing it behind an ear and looking anywhere else. It doesn't help, not then and not now, she still knows Tuff is looking and O _din's beard,_ she doesn't really feel any different. 

 

Maybe it _is_ weird. 

 

 

**

 

 

 "Honestly," Astrid says, stepping into their apartment, "do you think it's weird?" 

 

"What?" Hiccup says. He's had too much sparkling Shiraz, they opened another bottle but once Fishlegs had left he was the only one drinking it. 

"You know," Astrid stresses the vowel, making a face and Hiccup totally doesn't. "The whole, Tuff's my ex thing. Like, do you really not think it's weird we're friends and all." 

 

Hiccup stares, brow knitting into a very serious, if slightly unfocused, expression. This is either the perfect timing or the worst timing to wriggle answers out of Hiccup. There's the lack of focus, but he doesn't white lie so much. He is Astrid's best friend really, she loves him to death but sometimes he just says things he thinks she wants to hear. Especially about this.

 

The silence continues, Hiccup still frowning at the coat rack and letting the cold air into the apartment. Eventually, he steps out of the doorway and shuts the door. "Do _you_ think it's weird?" 

"No," Astrid says. Too fast, maybe. She doesn't even know anymore. "Well, no not really. Not until 'Lout said it was, and then I thought maybe it was." 

 

"Hmm." Hiccup notes, and then heads to the kitchenette. 

 

"Unbelievable," Astrid tells the coat rack. She hangs her parka up and starts after him, kicking her boots off on the way. "What do you mean _hmm?_ Answer the question Haddock, honestly." 

"Hmm like I'm thinking." Hiccup says. He's spreading jam on a piece of bread left over from lunch, Astrid can hardly believe anyone's actually still hungry after that spread. 

 

"It's a yes or no question. You don't really need to think about it, it's either weird or it's not." 

 

"It's like," Hiccup brandishes his jammy bread for dramatic effect, "it's not weird. But, if you _really_ think about it sort of is. Weird that we haven't really thought about it being weird. It's probably just, you don't really act any different. So it's kind of the same."

 

And that, doesn't really help. It's probably _more_ weird. 

 

"That's probably more weird, now that I think about _that_." Hiccup adds, taking a bite out of his bread. "The more I think about it, the more complicated it gets, the weirder it kind of seems."  

"Okay, okay. Let's stop thinking then, yeah?" Astrid half forces a laugh. That's probably it, she's all melancholy from Snotlout bringing it up, and too much fancy artisan beer. Too much thinking, too much nostalgia. 

 

The thing is, Astrid's not so great at not thinking. Hiccup's not either. They're thinkers, they're planners; it's why they get on so well. Hiccup looks at Astrid over his piece of bread, the moment too serious before it's broken by laughter. 

 

"Let's keep thinking about other things though," Hiccup says through the last mouthful of the bread. "Fishlegs' lab got the funding to go on the botanical exploration expedition." 

"What? That's incredible!" Astrid drops an arm around Hiccup's shoulders, "did this get mentioned at lunch? Did I miss it? I better congratulate him."

 

"Yeah, I think you were talking girl stuff with Ruff. You know, like? Violent sports and face reconstruction and weapon building or something." Hiccup cheerfully informs her, looping an arm around her waist. 

"Don't forget the discussions on different merits of self defence tactics and hot sauce eating competitions." Astrid laughs; she feels way more settled now. 

 

"How could I?" Hiccup exclaims, touching a hand to his forehead briefly with an exaggerated flair. Astrid laughs again, sinking right into that familiarity. 

 

 

**

 

 

Snotlout _finally_ answers the door after about the fifth press of the doorbell. Astrid's just about ready to pick up one of the decorative pots by the doorstep to smash the opaque glass panels in. Fishlegs' house is so _put together,_ like a display home. It needs roughing up, or wild living in. Or _something._

Honestly, Fishlegs should just ask Snotlout to move in. 

 

"About _time,_ " Astrid sniffs, shoving a hand further into her pocket. 

"You're late," Snotlout sniffs back in a well practised mimicry. 

 

"Ugh, please, do the whole stand off bro hug thing later," Hiccup says, stepping forward and produces a bottle of expensive wine with a flourish. "I brought wine!" 

"Don't worry," Astrid says, holding up her own gift as Hiccup steps through, "I brought beer." 

 

Snotlout claps her on the shoulder, Astrid punches his arm, gently. They follow after Hiccup to the main hubbub of the party. 

 

Most people are already here, Astrid nods a hello as she takes the beers and Hiccup's wine to the fridge, coming back to the breakfast bar to say hello. There's a ridiculous cheese platter, paired with drinks apparently. So very posh and put together. 

 

It's a bit later, half way through the platters  that Tuff announces, "I'm _dying_ of thirst," just as Astrid's finishing up her own drink. She rolls her eyes, it's very clearly calculated, but she doesn't feel put out. 

"Good." Ruff says, stealing the cracker he was going to stuff into his mouth. 

 

"I'll get you one, asshole." Astrid says, punching his shoulder as she walks past and he exaggerates the blow like it was serious. It makes her feel fond, stupidly utterly fond and doesn't keep a laugh to herself as Snotlout promises a proper punch. 

 

"Here," Astrid says as she passes the beer over, their fingers brushing for a moment too long. She cracks her own open, dropping the cap into her jacket pocket. 

 

"Thanks honey," Tuff says, half his attention on opening his own beer. And for a split second, it's like the world spins down into a complete stop. 

 

"What," Astrid breathes. No one really pays attention, Snotlout gives her a half a look. No one seems to have _noticed._ Astrid looks at her hands, the fingers of one smudging the condensation on the rim of her beer bottle. 

 

"Excuse me," she says, not really sure who it's aimed it - or if it's even aimed at anyone. She deposits her beer on side table next to photographs from school and a vase-full of tasteful flowers. The distance to the bathroom is longer than Astrid remembers, either because of the " _honey"_ or the beer, she's not sure. 

 

The door squeaks as it swings open, groaning under the pressure Astrid shoves it open. Everything's, too much, too little, too unreal, too familiar. She steps over to the mirror and her left hand grips too tight at the porcelain sink, other splashing the freezingcold water at her face. 

 

Astrid looks up at her reflection, cheeks wet, chest heaving. "You are _over_ him, you have been for a very long time now. Things are fine, things are _good_. You _are_ over him." 

 

"Over who?" The voice rings in the empty bathroom, louder than it has any right to be and Astrid spins around. 

"Heather. _Odin_ , you spooked me." Astrid laughs. It sounds too loud in this space, like it's fake. Heather laughs too, it tucks Astrid up in familiarity and she steps into a tight hug. 

 

"For serious A, over who?" Heather asks, holding Astrid back by her shoulders and looking her over. "It's like high school dating jitters all over again." 

"Just," Astrid pulls her bottom lip in with her teeth, a tight approximation of a smile bunching her face. "The regular reason for high school dating jitters." 

 

It's been a while. High school, and this kind of jitters talk and like, dating Tuff in general. Talking about it with Heather too. She still gets it though, a condescending little eyebrow rise that's all _for real?_

 

"You know, I never got what you saw in him." Heather had a crush on _Fishlegs_ who is like, top brother material so. Like she can talk. Actually, considering, Fishlegs and Dagur had a disturbingly high number of similarities so Heather definitely cannot talk. 

"I think everyone says that about the Thorstons before they get it." Astrid shrugs, it's not, easy to explain. But, it was the easiest thing in the world.

 

"Cryptic." Heather does that little eyebrow raise again, it speaks volumes and with her dark hair caught up under the shoulders of her jacket, eyes smoky it makes Astrid nostalgic in another way. She thinks, maybe, if this had been another timeline, if they'd met differently, if Tuff had been another three minutes late to their first date. _Maybe._ It doesn't matter now, but Heather had always been another precipice. 

 

"It's just." Astrid doesn't know where to start, but it tumbles all out when it does. "It wasn't weird, like? The whole spending time with Tuff, even though we're exes. But then 'Lout said it was and it made me think, and then Hiccup said it didn't seem weird because we weren't any different. Which, _that's_ weird and worse, he's right. Tuff called me honey like five minutes ago, I don't think _anyone_ noticed. That's weird. I probably wouldn't have noticed either and that's weird too. It's all weird." 

 

"What." Heather deadpans.  

"I'm, I don't even know." Astrid sighs, she's too worked up over this shit. She needs to get away, to just breathe for a little while. It _is_ high school dating jitters except she's supposed to be an adult. 

"I just meant like, telling your reflection you're over him like that when obviously you're _not."_ Heather shrugs. She turns the both of them back to the mirror.

_"What."_ Astrid eyes Heather's reflection. 

"That's what's going on, right?" Heather shrugs, looking down at her hands instead of at Astrid. 

"I need to? Get away and think." Astrid says instead of agreeing. She wants to say no, but the answer is probably yes. Things are messed up. 

 

Heather rubs her shoulder, shifting her eyes back up to look at Astrid's reflection. She's got that deep in thought expression plastered on, frown in her brows and her eyes and her mouth. She used to do it to look mysterious, but now it's just genuine and Astrid loves her for the care. She's dumping Hiccup as best friend for Heather, really. 

 

"Come on, that's easy." Heather's mouth curves up into a half grin, "just? Take some leave, run away for a while. You've got plenty." Of course Heather thinks you can just, take off and leave things behind. That's her modus operandi, the rest of the world doesn't really work that. But yet - 

 

"Yeah, okay." Astrid tells her reflection. 

 

\- yeah, _okay._  

 

 

**

 

 

It's six am, and Astrid's supposed to be half way down the interstate except she's standing in front of the Thorston's door. She meant to knock ten minutes ago, but she can't decide if the squirming anxiety in her stomach is good or bad. 

 

"What the fuck," Ruff says through the door. 

 

"Uhm," Astrid starts, but the door stays shut and the noise of Ruff moving around disappears. Footfalls pick back up again, more of them, and the door swings open.

 

"Hi," Astrid breathes. She means to say something else. Anything else, really, maybe an explanation for appearing at six am on a Friday morning 

"Hi," Tuff smiles, all soft looking like he's still sleep warm, pillow creases on his cheek. " _I'm over him,"_ Astrid mocks her own thoughts, _you damn liar._

"Uh," Astrid picks a spot over his shoulder to focus on. "I'm, kind of taking a road trip for a break and I just, remembered when we used to do that. Go on adventures, or whatever, and I was wondering if you'd like to again." 

And, Tuff says, "yeah sure," instead of _where are we going?_ Or _just let me pack something,_ or even _I've gotta put some shoes on._

"Thank Thor!" Ruff yells from somewhere in the house.

 

She comes bundling back to the front door, shoes and jacket in hand and shoves at Tuff until he steps down onto the front porch. She pushes sunglasses onto his head and then rubs her hands together like she's wiping off the dust. 

 

"I'm gonna eat all your candy whilst you're gone." Is Ruff's parting shot and she shuts the front door with an extra loud _bang!_

"I think my keys are still inside." Tuff says with a shrug, turning towards Astrid and he's so close she can feel how warm he is. She takes a step back, B _auldar's blouse_ this was supposed to be _space._

"It's fine," Astrid says. And, nothing else; so they're just standing there, an inch or two apart. It's - 

"I haven't eaten breakfast." Tuff scratches his chin thoughtfully, eyebrows knitting together. Astrid remembers the feel of his stubble against her hand, of breakfast dates. Of fuzzy mornings, and messy clothes and laughter. It's all, too much, really. 

 

Instead, she says, "we can, like get some wherever, you know?"  And Tuff smiles, bright and crooked like a flashlight on the cusp of running out of batteries. He's the _worst._

 

They get egg McMuffins twenty minutes later and Tuff drips the melted cheese down his hand. It's _just_ like before, Astrid can almost see the memory, but superimposed with an older Tuff. He still laughs the same, and forgoes the napkins for licking it up and Astrid calls him a disgusting degenerate. 

 

"Nothing's changed," He grins. 

 

 _Yeah,_ Astrid thinks, _nothing's changed._

 

"Do you remember," She says, looking at her hands on the steering wheel, almost afraid to look over. "Our first date - we went to that carnival, and I won you that ugly bear at one of those rigged carnival games after you ran out of money failing at it?" 

"Yeah," Tuff says. It's one word, but it feels like more - legions more, like paragraphs, like promises. 

 

"It meant a lot to me." She admits. 

"What? The bear, Mr Fluffkins?" 

"No, idiot." Astrid laughs, eyes darting over before shifting back to the road. "Just, you, and the carnival and sharing that? The whole spiel about you and Ruff loving carnivals, about how it was important to you." 

 

"Well, Mr Fluffkins meant a lot to me." Tuff says. A second or two later, he ruins the moment with an ill timed slurp from his drink. Astrid's stuck halfway between her laughter and a big dopey grin of fondness, it all melds together. 

 

 

**

 

 

The thing is, Astrid _didn't_ plan anything. 

 

Or like, she did. The whole trip away was meticulously planned, every single item detailed on an itinerary but then she'd ended up at the Thorston's and that's enough to ruin any plan.  

 

On a pit stop, whilst Tuff was getting coffees and truck stop sandwiches she'd rang all the places she'd booked. One place wouldn't give back her deposit, but Tuff had grinned like a manic when she'd asked left or right at a T junction and that's worth whatever. There was a plan; and then there _wasn't._

They're not going specifically anywhere, not planning to do anything; there's no limits, no restrictions. Everything's a whim, a spilt second decision away and it's everything that exhilarated and scared Astrid then, everything that still scares her a little now.

 

"We should stop for the night," Tuff says a moment after passing a dinky little motel with a blinking VACANCY sign that's barely working. They buy chips and a bottle of mediocre vodka to sneak into a two bed room. They hardly need to _sneak_ but the ridiculousness of Tuff shoving a packet of chips up his shirt is catching. 

 

The beds are actually pushed together, making a queen and there's apparently linen somewhere but Tuff sprawls over it and flicks the TV on and, well. What difference does next to make to across the room? 

 

"Sit up, dumbass." Astrid pokes Tuff's leg with the end of the vodka and cracks it open, taking a sip straight from the bottle. It burns on the way down, like a mimicry of teenage drinking and Tuff coughs on his turn. 

" _Loki,"_ He slaps at his chest, bringing that hand up to cough as he scoots over on the bed. "I vote something at least half way decent next time." 

 

"Weakling," Astrid says around the mouth of the bottle, smirk creeping up the corners of her lips as Tuff squawks indignantly. 

 

They settle into the bed, shoulders knocking and knees propped against one another. Tuff turns on some ridiculous reality TV program and passes the vodka back every time Astrid snorts at his grimace. 

 

"Hey," She says, as the end credits are rolling and she feels soft, feels mellow, feels his warm down the length of her side. 

"Hmm." Tuff half turns, but he's leaning on Astrid just as much and it doesn't really more. 

 

"I missed you," She murmurs, speaking half into his shoulder. It feels like if it's said any louder it'll break the moment, 

"You see me all the time." Tuff shrugs, it's mostly an awkward shuffling movement that particularly dislodges Astrid's position so she sits up a little more. 

 

"It's not really the same." Astrid says, and she knows Tuff gets it. Tuff always did; Tuff always does. 

"Yeah," Tuff says, a sigh slipping out through his teeth. 

 

It had always been easy, between the two of them. Easy in a way Astrid couldn't explain, easy in ways no one else seemed to get. It was just them, and simple unexplicablt easiness. She doesn't know when it ever stopped being easy, why it did or how, because it still feels easy now. 

 

For a moment, the liminal space between Astrid moving and Tuff responding, she thinks there's going to be a surprised intake of breath but Tuff sinks into the kiss like it's the logical conclusion. 

 

It _is_ the logical conclusion. _They_ are a logical conclusion. 

 

Tuff kisses the way Astrid imagines all the thoughts in her head these past weeks would feel. Slow and languid, melted chocolate and drizzling honey, but honestly a bit drunk sloppy and she pulls away. 

 

"You pissed?" Astrid asks. She kind of is. 

"A little." Tuff shrugs, reaching up to push some of his hair back behind an ear. "We should sleep, probably." 

 

"Yeah," she says. She wants to put her hand on Tuff's cheek and pull him back in. She pulls back the quilt though, and takes off her bra under her shirt to sleep more comfortably. 

 

Tuff conks out half way through a "night," it's a little embarrassing. That's more than a little pissed. Astrid looks up a the ceiling in the dark and thinks _stupid, stupid, stupid_. 

 

 

**

 

 

Tuff's leaning against the car when Astrid gets back from picking up breakfast the next morning. She still remember his general order, down to the letter and waves it at him. She'd missed the sunrise in the shop, the sun just high enough to be absolutely blinding and Tuff's squinting into his grin. 

 

"Here," Astrid says and instead of a  _thanks honey,_ like an echo of a starting point, Tuff leans down and says it with a kiss instead. 

 

 


End file.
